Feeeule foe boiler tubes



(No Model.)

H. S. ROSS. FERRULE FOR'BOILEB, TUBES.

No. 530,721. Patented Dec. 11, 1894.

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HENRY S'OHUYLER ROS S, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FERR'U LE FOR BOILER-TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,721, dated December 11, 1894;

' Application filed June 26,1898i Serial No. 478.797- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern! I Be it known thatI, HENRY SCHUYLER Ross, of the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Ferrules or Protectors for Boiler-Tubes; and the invention is fully set forth in'the following specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figures 1, 2 and 3 are longitudinal sections of my invention. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a section of tube sheet. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of ferrule with ring attached. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the spring ring.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.

Now the object of my invention is to provide a protection to the ends of boiler tubes and tube sheets, from destruction by impact of flame and gases, and also to prevent the deleterious and continuing orintermittent expansion and contraction of the ends of the tubes, and of the holes in the tube-sheets in which the tubes are secured, and at the same time not to impair the evaporative efficiency of the tubes, nor to reduce materially the calorimeter or draft area of tubes, and yet provide a ferrule or protector which can easily be taken out and renewed.

It is well known that the fire exposed ends of boiler tubes are subjected to great fluctuations in temperature from various causes,- forced draft, heavy fires, opening of furnace doors, 850., so much so that dangerous accidents have occurred with loss of life, and many methods of dealing with this diificult problem have been devised, though most of them have disadvantages, which prevent their adoption. To accomplish these desirable results, I provide a tube or ring F, of a very refractory and heat holding material, preferably of fire-cement, pot-clay, or fire resisting compound, of which there are many varieties or compositions. This ring or short tube has an internal diameter approximately the same as the tube to be protected, and of a thickness or outer diameter as great as is practically consistent with the spacing apart of the tubes in each case, allowing of course a moderate taper for facility in molding. I prefer a circular shape but frequently it is better to give the outer periphery an oval or elongated shape as the more the volume of the protector or ferrule the greater will beits reserve or store of heat to be given off on a change of temperature of passing gases, it being only necessary to leave a small space between the ferrules or protectorsof the adjacent or contiguous tubes. This ring or ferrule F bears against the end of the tube and tube sheet H or combustion chamber, thus virtually elongating the tube. To maintain the protector or ferrule F in this position and coincident with the axis of the tube, I provide three methods: first as shown in Fig. 1 by means of a longi tudinally split ring or bush of metal S, one end of which enters into the boiler tube and the other into the protector F, its radial elasholding the protector F in position. This split ring or bush is so thin, that, it practically does not diminish the area of the tube section, nor interfere with the cleansing or sweeping of the tubes, and its elasticity permits the easy removal or renewal of any ferrule.

My second method of securing the ferrule or protector in place in new boilers, or in the re-tubing of old ones, is to leave the ends of the tubes projecting into the combustion chamber a short distance, say one-fourth to three-fourths of an inch and then to slip the ferrule F over the tube, a small recess or counter bore 0 being left at the inner end of the ferrule into which the tube fits or is made to fit with a trifle of fire-clay or cement.

My third method consists in coating the inner end of the ferrule or protector with an adhesive fire-cement 00 and in pressing and holding the ferrule into its proper position against the tubeend and sheet H H by means of a brace or otherwise, until the, cement has hardened and holds the ferrule without other support, but this latter method of securing the ferrule may not prove as convenientin removing it.

The operation of my invention may be thus stated: Having ferruled or covered the ends of all the tubesin a combustion chamber of a furnacewith protectors F F, on lighting the fire in the furnace none of the flame or combustionv gases can enter either boiler-tube without first passing around and through the ferrules or protectors F F, and these ferrules H to be protected and projects into the fire ticity expanding into and grasping each, and

or protectors will then absorb heat and arrive gradually to a temperature the same as that of the flame or gases. They will remain at this temperature and maintain the ends of the tubes and the contiguous tube-sheet at nearly their own temperature, and should there then occur a sudden lowering or elevation of temperature of the passing gases or flames, they would be heated or cooled as the case may be in passing around and through the ferrules into the tubes, the protectors acting as reservoirs or equalizers of heat, and it also must be noted that the passing gases or flames cannot impinge against the tube ends of the tube-sheets H H, all such action being borne by the easily replaced protector and its elastic ring.

I am aware that ferrules have been made which project into the combustion chamber of a boiler and into the boiler tubes, but to such I make no claim, but

\Vhat I do claim is- 1. A boiler tube ferrule or protector of a refractory material which projects into a fire or combustion chamber but does not enter the tube, and means for securing the said ferrule in place said tube ferrule or protector not entering the tube, of an elastic holder entering into the boiler tube and the ferrule.

4:. The combination with a fire-tube of a ferrule or protector of a refractory material having approximately the same internal diameter as the tube attached to the end of said tube and projecting into the combustion chamber.

This specification signed and witnessed this 10th day of June, 1893.

HENRY SOHUYLER ROSS.

In presence of-- E. M. TAYLOR, ALFRED W. KIDDLE. 

